Ignorance is no more bliss. Everybody out there is ready to make a fool of you. You need to be alert, you need to be informed, you need to be empowered. And Idea Cellular, one of India’s leading telecom company believes that access to internet on the go can not only help you stay foolproof, but also call the bluffs.

In a new commercial conceptualized by Lowe Lintas, the brand has taken the concept of Idea internet on mobiles so that ‘no ullu banaoing’ in India. The minute-long ad features people from all walks of life using their internet enabled mobile phone for instant access to information and exposing liars and rumour mongers.

No Ullu Banaoing

The ad starts with a guide telling a group of tourists that the monument they were looking at has been built by the same artisans who had made the famous Taj Mahal. But, a woman tourist browsing her mobile internet quickly points out that the fingers of the artisans who made the Taj were chopped off after they built it. This has been followed by other similar stories – the internet helps expose a bad rating by a boarding lodge provider at Kashmir, a young aspiring actress catches the bluff of a producer who claims to have made many films and many more with policemen, a bride-to-be, etc.

All throughout, brand ambassador and actor Abhishek Bachchan watches and finally makes a comment on no more ‘ullu banaoing‘ with Idea internet. Watch the ad:

Uploaded on the telco’s YouTube channel on Jan 25, 2014, the video has received more than 17K views. A longer two-and-a-half minute ‘Ullu Mat Bano’ song uploaded earlier has garnered more than 46K views.

Ullu Mat Bano on social

The ad was shared on social networks following a series of teaser updates that portrayed the various situations in our everyday life where we get deceived. Fans were geared to not be fooled by cheating taxiwallas, spiritual con artists and more. Here’s one of the updates from Idea’s Facebook page.

Soon the idea of Idea’s ‘no ullu banaoing‘ was extended onto social media with a ‘ullu mat bano‘ contest on Twitter. Users had to follow the Idea Cellular Twitter account and share their ullu story using the hashtag #UlluMatBano. The contest gave away Idea 3G Smartfones, the company’s branded 3G smartphone as prizes.

An interesting differentiation

Though telecom brands have been providing mobile internet since a long time now, Indian consumers haven’t yet explored the option in large numbers. They are either unaware of its benefits or prefer to stay away from the extra expenses. Idea’s ‘no ullu banaoing’ ad answers both concerns in one ad – the benefit of instant access to the internet and affordable internet for every segment of society.

This and the accompanying ‘no ullu banaoing’ rhyme is bound to catch on with the masses for its fresh communication, and also help strengthen its proposition – An idea can change your life.

Also, the campaign was extended well onto social media with the help of contests and relevant prizes. Idea’s new campaign stands out for its mere freshness and catchy jingle, but will it boost the internet subscriber growth for Idea? Something its data plans will help decide.